Funds are requested to support travel of participants to the "Reactive Polymers, Ion-Exchangers and Adsorbents" Gordon Research Conference to be held August 22-27, 1993 at the Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. This multidisciplinary Conference is thought by many to be the premier small meeting devoted to the design and application of adsorbents for use in aqueous systems. Traditionally, a significant part of financial support for the Conference had come from industrial sources. However, recent inquiries suggest that due to the unfavorable business climate only trifling industrial support can be expected for this Conference. This Gordon Research Conference grew out a of former Conference entitled, "Ion Exchange Resins". The last Gordon Research Conference with this title was held in 1983: the Conference was reorganized in 1984 and held its first meeting under the new title, "Reactive Polymers,Ion-Exchangers and Adsorbents" in 1985. Since then the Conference took place biannually in Newport, RI. The charter for the new Conference was broadened from a focus on ion- exchange to that on separation phenomena with polymeric sorbents and supports where the morphology, surface and molecular architecture as well as the dynamics of interaction between the functionalized polymer and sorbate are the major subjects of inquiry. The broadened focus still includes ion- exchange phenomena but addresses sorbates other than ions and interactions of sorbates with dynamic polymers of all kinds in addition to coulombic interactions. The Conference on "Reactive Polymers" is distinct from the Gordon Conference on "Adsorption" and on "Polymers" in that the architecture of the polymers and the impact of the architecture upon the interaction with molecules involved in a chemical reaction or in a separation process is at the heart of the emphasis. With this targeted arena of research activity, the Conference on "Reactive Polymers" stimulates cross-fertilization of many scientific disciplines. Among others, polymer synthesis, catalysis, interfacial science, fluid dynamics, biotechnology, chromatography, ion-exchange, adsorption, molecular recognition, affinity separations and bioengineering are well represented. For this reason, the Conference is usually attended by chemical engineers, polymer chemists, analytical chemists, environmental engineers, life scientists and biotechnologists. It offers a unique interdisciplinary forum to give information about the latest advances and to stimulate further progress. The research area of reactive polymers is growing rapidly and expected to be of vital importance to our present-day economy and welfare. For instance, biotechnology and control of our environment are very much dependent on the availability of reactive polymers having the right architecture and selectivity. The main topics to be treated at the meeting include (1) Preparation and characterization of ultrapure water; (2) Novel sorbent-configurations for enhancement of efficiency; (3) Catalysis by polymers; (4) Advances in reactive polymers; (5) Interaction of biopolymers with surfaces; (6) Chiral separations; (7) Chromatography of proteins. The preliminary program of lectures is presented in the plan. Ample time will be provided per discussion and every effort will be made to include minorities and young investigators in the program. Particular attention will be paid to poster presentations and we plan to support the participation of a relatively large number of graduate students to enable them to present posters at the conference.